For a wide variety of products, lithium batteries have been extensively used as a power source. Though providing exceptional characteristics as a power source, at the end of the useful life of these batteries, they pose health and environmental concerns. Lithium-ion batteries are expensive to manufacture and this is mainly due to the high raw material cost and complex preparation processes. The most costly metal of most Li-ion is cobalt, and the price of lithium has been rising quickly due to higher demand. There is a need to recycle lithium Ion batteries that are used or spent by consumers, companies, military and government. Although, this type of battery does not contain harmful metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, it still represents a significant a danger to our landfills, as the contents and battery components are volatile and combustible. The danger lies in the charge that some of these cells may still contain, which could lead to causing a fire. Land fill fires are difficult to extinguish, very costly and can last days, months or even years. Additionally, some Li-ion cells are produced to look and function as a replacement to lead acid batteries. The concern is some of these Li-ion batteries are reaching lead acid recycling facilities because they look the same. If a battery with Li-ion chemistry were to enter the lead acid battery recycling process, it could cause a significant hazard.
Attempts at processing Li-ion batteries include incinerating them in a calciner. This renders them inert but is very costly and results in explosive combustion of the batteries that pose risks in terms of noxious materials and off gases that need to be scrubbed or put through an after burner, as well as degradation of the calciner itself. If whole batteries enter a smelter where valuable battery components can be extracted, they will explode on entering the smelting process. This can send molten metal flying, potentially causing serious harm or death to workers. Using a calciner is just a way to control the explosions in a safer environment, but at a high cost, as it is very damaging the calciner. Inside the calciner Li-ion batteries react similar to small missiles violently shooting around. This results in significant damage to the calciner, including to the brick interior lining. Costs associated with this process include the cost of natural gas, maintenance shutdown due to damage, and the need to after burn any residual organics from calciner. All of these costs are included in the value, if any, the battery collectors receive from their end markets. This usually transitions to a monetary charge the battery collectors pass on to the public, corporate and government entities to recycle their used batteries. It would be desirable to have systems and processes that avoid these costs. The ability to reduce costs in turn make it more feasible and cost effective for recycling used/spent Li-ion batteries. As there are efforts to collect these types of cells, there is a need for a safe, cost effective recycling that allows for reclamation of the components of lithium batteries. As the need for high energy batteries, such as lithium ion batteries, the use of such batteries or like batteries with similar disposal problems will be used in greatly increased quantities, and the need for an effective and cost-efficient system and process to allow recycling and reclamation of the components.
The chemistry and safety characteristics can vary across lithium ion battery types. For example, handheld electronic devices may use chemistry based on lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), which offers high energy density, but presents safety risks, especially when such batteries are destructed. Other types of lithium ion batteries include lithium ion phosphate (LFP), lithium manganese oxide (LMO) and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), which offer lower energy density, but longer lives and better safety characteristics. Such batteries are widely used for electric tools, medical equipment and a wide variety of other applications. NMC is particularly useful for automotive and aerospace applications for example. Lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) and lithium titante (LTO), as well as lithium/sulfur dioxide, lithium/sulfuryl chloride, lithium/iodine, lithium/iron disulfide, lithium/polymer, lithium/magnesium dioxide or lithium/carbon monofluoride batteries, have also been developed for applications. Further, there may be a need to recycle batteries utilizing other hazardous anode, cathode and electrolyte combinations such as nickel/metal hydride or sodium/sulfur sodium/nickel batteries.
In each of these configurations, lithium-ion or possibly other batteries can be dangerous and can pose a safety hazard since they contain a flammable electrolyte and are also kept pressurized. For example, the overheating or overcharging of the battery may result in thermal runaway and cell rupture, which in turn can lead to combustion. This same effect is realized upon destruction of the battery. In an attempt to reduce these risks, lithium-ion battery packs may contain fail-safe circuitry that shuts down the battery when its voltage is outside a safe range. These systems as well as other organics used in the batteries can also pose problems when attempting to recycle and reclaim the battery components. Additional issues in recycling and reclaiming the battery components are caused upon short-circuiting the battery, which will cause the cell to overheat and possibly to catch fire. Extinguishing this fire is dangerous as lithium burns violently when it comes in contact with water or moisture in the air. This along with the flammable electrolyte result in the significant safety and environmental concerns during destruction and recycling of the batteries. The manufacturing processes of nickel and cobalt for the cathode and also the solvent also present potential environmental and health hazards in relation to recycling.
The disposal of lithium or like batteries can be extremely dangerous because the cell components as well as the products created on discharge of the cells are unstable and the battery destruction process can result in explosive reactions, fires and the release of corrosive and toxic byproducts. It would be desirable to have systems and methods which effectively neutralizes the battery components, while quenching reactions of such components.
It would also be desirable to allow for accurate sampling for assessment of value of the battery components. As the components that can be reclaimed are of small quantities, any attempt to recycle batteries may be hampered by the inability to properly assess the value of the components. Enabling sampling of the batteries to be recycled would allow a accurate assessment of value and proper payment to the supplier of the batteries for recycling.